Caitlin Van Ermen
A selected group of Spartan delegates dressed in business professional outfits gathered at the Kellogg Center to learn from the experts. The MSU/MRS Careers Collaborative Seminar Series hosted the Professional Prep Dinner to expose students to the keys of mastering interviews and securing career opportunities with individualized attention towards a disability.
Twenty RCPD students were not only hungry for the delicious three-course meal served at the Kellogg Center but also hungry to translate their collegiate experience into real-world job preparedness.
Delegates were afforded the opportunity to network with community professionals, ask advice from their RCPD specialist at the table, and learn from fellow Spartans about personal experiences in the workplace. The Professional Prep Dinner helped achieve some of the goals of the Careers Collaborative: allow students with disabilities to unite and ask questions in an open and welcoming environment.
Thanks to the sponsor, MSU Federal Credit Union, the event offered students true experiential learning. Students practiced eating in a formal dining environment, familiarized themselves with proper interview etiquette, and engaged in an event that requires dressing for success.
Representatives from MSU Federal Credit Union and MSU’s Career Services Network shared their professional experience to prepare students for interview situations that are just around the corner. Students with diverse disabilities sought advice on how to thrive in an interview setting, despite limitations that a disability might offer.
Kate Long, team RCPD member, a faculty of the Michigan Rehabilitation Services, and the leader of the Careers Collaborative said, “The Professional Prep Dinner is an important event for our students because it helps them become comfortable with business dining experiences that they are likely to encounter in future employment settings. Most importantly, the prep dinner allows RCPD students to comfortably ask questions and discuss situations specific to their disabilities and not typically considered in traditional etiquette presentations.”
The Resource Center for Persons with Disabilities eager to unlock the potential of all students, both in the classroom and after graduation. To be a part of the visionary program geared to help students gain the keys to success, we invite you to join the Careers Collaborative Program.